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Emerging and future risks to plant health

European Commission

Expected Outcome:

Successful proposals should contribute to the objectives of the common agricultural policy, as well as to the European Green Deal’s goals for resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, and support Regulation 2016/2031[1] on protective measures against pests of plants.

Successful proposals will deliver on the expected impacts of the destination by enabling agri-food systems to enhance the EU’s strategic autonomy through promoting food security and long-term sustainability with multidisciplinary approaches, including One Health. They will also empower farmers and key actors in the agricultural sector to manage sustainable, efficient, profitable, and circular farming systems with low greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate-neutrality and resilience.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

the understanding of drivers of plant pest emergence, including the influence of climate change, ecosystem degradation and globalisation, is increased;
cost-effective preventive and/or curative measures to new and/or emerging plant pests are developed;
economic, social, and environmentally sound solutions for effective pest management in farming and/or forestry in line with the principles of integrated pest management are developed;
scientific support, recommendations, and policy advice are provided to strengthen plant health policies.

Scope:

Plant health is crucial for agriculture, forestry, ecosystems, ecosystem services and biodiversity on a global scale. The current EU plant health legislative framework plays a vital role in protecting the EU from the introduction of new plant pests and as well as tackling existing plant pests more effectively. Maintaining healthy crops is increasingly challenging due to factors like climate change, biodiversity loss, globalisation, and international trade which accelerate the spread of pests and diseases. These threats can severely damage crops, native plants, and the environment, jeopardising agricultural sustainability, biodiversity, and food security.

To address these issues, proposals should target one or more new or emerging plant pests[2] (regulated, non-regulated, introduced or native) that are causing or likely to cause, significant socio-economic and/or environmental impact to agriculture and/or forestry in the EU and/or Associated Countries, well as the impact on trade and the wider environment, including soil and water, considering potential exacerbation under climate change[3]. Within the scope of this topic are pests exhibiting an altered and higher probability of entry, establishment and spread in a new area that might be the result of changes in their biology or changes in agriculture or forestry pest management practice or rapid spread in new areas.

Proposals should:

enhance understanding of pest(s) biology, introduction pathways, interaction with crop-soil ecosystems (if relevant), and mechanisms of spread, especially considering the challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity crisis, land use, and globalisation, thereby reducing uncertainties and lack of data in pest risk assessments;
develop rapid and cost-effective tools and methods for preventing pest(s) entry, spread, and establishment; this includes early detection, surveillance, treatment[4], and (bio)control measures (including innovative agro-ecological practices), in line with sustainable and integrated pest management;
assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of plant pest(s) establishment and spread on farmers and/or forest owners and develop strategies to mitigate these impacts effectively;
contribute to the identification of resistant and/or tolerant traits and explore agro-ecological processes as tools for pests regulation, enhancing the resilience and long-term sustainability of the sector;
foster a holistic understanding and management of plant pests following a One Health approach, recognising the interconnection between people, animals, plants and their shared environment.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1️⃣ Strong, Mission-Aligned Impact (Most Important Across EC Calls)

The EC is impact-driven: proposals must show how the project will:

Solve a major European or global societal challenge

Deliver measurable, lasting benefits for EU citizens

Produce outputs that can be used by policymakers, industry, or society

Align with Horizon Europe missions, priorities, and strategic agendas

Predictor: Clear, quantifiable, EU-level impact → strongest scoring factor.

2️⃣ Clear, Ambitious, but Achievable Objectives

Successful proposals show:

2–4 well-defined objectives linked to the Work Programme call text

Clearly articulated research questions or innovation goals

Logical, realistic expected outcomes and deliverables

Feasible scientific and technical approaches

Predictor: Balanced ambition + feasibility.

3️⃣ Excellent, Cutting-Edge Science or Innovation

For RIA/IA/CSA or ERC-level grants, reviewers expect:

High novelty and innovation

Strong grounding in current state-of-the-art

Clear advancement beyond existing approaches

Solid theoretical or experimental foundations

Robust methodological design

Predictor: Scientific excellence is essential for competitive scoring.

4️⃣ Strong Consortium with Complementary Expertise

EC proposals are consortium-driven (except ERC/EIC Accelerator).

High-scoring consortia:

Cover all needed competencies (science, industry, policy, ethics, dissemination)

Include SMEs, industry partners, NGOs, and public bodies when relevant

Are geographically diverse across EU Member States and Associated Countries

Demonstrate strong leadership and communication structures

Predictor: Well-constructed consortium with clear roles.

5️⃣ Clear Pathway From Outputs → Outcomes → Impact

Evaluators look for a credible trajectory showing:

How research leads to specific outputs (data, tools, prototypes)

How outputs lead to uptake or use

How use produces societal, economic, scientific, or policy impact

Strong Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and impact metrics

Predictor: Clearly mapped impact pathway.

6️⃣ Strong Implementation Plan (Work Packages, Deliverables, Gantt Chart)

Winning proposals have:

Well-designed Work Packages (WPs) with clear scope and responsibilities

Interdependencies identified and risk-mitigation strategies

Detailed milestones and deliverables

Feasible budget aligned with tasks

Strong project management plan

Predictor: High implementation quality boosts the “Excellence” and “Implementation” scores.

7️⃣ Policy Relevance and Contribution to EU Strategies

Especially critical for health, climate, digital, and social calls.

Proposals score higher when they link to:

EU Cancer Mission

EU Green Deal

Digital Europe strategy

EU Biodiversity Strategy

EU Health Union & One Health

Open Science & FAIR data mandates

Predictor: Clear alignment with EU policies.

8️⃣ Strong Stakeholder & Citizen Engagement (Especially in Social & Health Missions)

EC values inclusivity:

Patient groups

Civil society organizations

Public sector bodies

Regulatory agencies

Citizen science components

Stakeholder letters of intent or commitment strengthen credibility.

Predictor: Engagement adds impact and relevance.

9️⃣ Robust Data Management, Open Science, and Ethics

Mandatory components include:

FAIR Data Management Plan

Open access publications

Ethics self-assessment

GDPR compliance

Data security, governance, and ethical approvals

Animal-use reduction and justification (if applicable)

Predictor: Clear compliance with ethical and data obligations.

10️⃣ Well-Justified Budget and Resource Allocation

Budget must be:

Proportional to tasks

Transparent and reasonable

Efficiently distributed among partners

Free from padding or unjustified costs

Predictor: Realistic budgets improve Implementation scores.

🚫 COMMON PITFALLS THAT LEAD TO EC GRANT REJECTION

Pitfall	Why It Fails
Weak connection to Work Programme text	Immediate score reduction
Vague or generic impact statements	Poor Impact score
Overly ambitious, unrealistic scope	Feasibility concerns
Poorly structured consortium	Low Implementation score
No policy relevance	Weak strategic alignment
Lack of concrete KPIs or outcomes	Impact unclear
Weak data or ethics plan	Eligibility/score penalties
No exploitation or dissemination plan	Insufficient impact credibility
Budget misalignment	Reviewer distrust

Specialties

Environmental Health

Eligibility Requirements

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

Applicants submitting a proposal under the blind evaluation pilot (see General Annex F) must not disclose their organisation names, acronyms, logos nor names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application (see General Annex E).

described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions

The following additional eligibility criteria apply: The proposals must apply the multi-actor approach. See definition of the multi-actor approach in the introduction to this work programme part.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: European Commission

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: Rue de la Loi 200 / Wetstraat 200, 1049 Brussels

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